The Dillon tribune., 1887-09-16
LITERARY SUCCESS.
The Ways by N'iic:, Some Noted Writers
Have Istcol.,e Famous.

The Ways by Iv'iic:, some Noted Writers
Have become Famous.
Every literary success has it's own his
tory. Thorcau's beautiful books are
found in every library where he would
have cared to have them; but they were
so little appreciated when originally is.
sued that at the end Of TIE first year al
most the whole edition was returned to
the author. who carried the books labori-
ously upstairs with the laughing an
nounccment that he was probably the only
man in America with library of 600
volumes all written by himself. Rider
HagCard thinks he will try the doubtful
experiment Of weaving his African expert
cncc into book for boys. and thousands
of copies, perhaps hundreds Of thousands
of "King Solomon's Mines' arc sold i'm
1lcdately, quite as much to his own sur
prise as that Of anybody else. Bayard
Taylor, tkirsting for tho literary life,
eager for fame, but only for the fame
that comes from doing really admirable
work, labors slowly, toilsomely, carefully,
and achieves at last an enviable position
for graceful, scholarly, patient literary
effort. Sidney Luska leaps into the liter
ary arena with his first book in his hand,
SO brilliant Il one that the critics only
wonder whether he can ever do anything
else rs good Miss A,cott is inspired to
write Little Womcn' because, is she
naively saGs herself. ''thc house needed
shingling." Miss Murfrec and Mrs. Bur-
nett for years write short stories in OBJ
scurc publications, unknown, ,lnnoticed
and unpraised, till the long training and
patient perseverance ''tell'' at last,
and result finally in a splendid
effort that the adr,iring world sup
poses to be their first. II. H., brilliant
society woman, not especially interested
in literature, already in middle age, writes
suddenly poem, is perfectly amazed on
receiving $40 for it, pays herself for the
publication CT her first book, only to find
herself in @ few years acknowledged as
tho finest poetcss in America, if indeed,
as Mr.. Emerson said, we may not leave
off the last syllable Of ''pcctess." Char
lotto Brontc, with profound confidence in
hcr own genius, encouraged by no one,
discouraged by every publisher till the
last, writes ''Jarc Eyre to be one of the
greatest novels Of her generation. George
Eliot, profoundly self distrustful, ventur-
ing into fiction only ct the urgent entreaty
of Mr.. Lcwes, writes "At!am Bede," to
be the admiration Of the world. and per-
hars never did any work finer Of its kind
than her first. Harriet Prescott Spofforil,
girl of 1G, who had never been out Of
America and hardly out of Newbnryport,
sits in her little room, with portfolio in her
lap, and evolves from her inner conscious
ness and knowledge of books q story of
Partisan life, SO faithful to the local color
OF the brilliant city of the world that the
editor of The Atlantic sends it back to her
at first on the plen that it is singularly
fine, but presumably q translation.
When book appears so perfect of its
Kind as "Hans Brinkcr, or the Silver
Skates" the world is interested not
merely in reading the book, but in know
ing how it came to he written 1t may be
stated briefly that "Hars Hrin1,cr' was
almost the first literary effort, though not
actually the first, Of its author; that ut
the time she wrote it she had never been
in Holland ut all; that like her dear and
intimate friend II. H., she had passed her
girlhood end early womanhocd without u
thought or desire for literary famc.-
New York Mail and Express.